Academics

The Academic Sector is made up of five colleges and schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the Helen DeVos College of Education, the School of Music, the School of Religion, and the School of Nursing.

General Education Core (50-59 hours)

These core requirements are the basic guidelines for most majors, although specific programs will have more detailed requirements. Students should check their degree audits for the complete listing of core requirements for their specific programs.

Developing Biblical Faith and Lifestyle (12 hours)

Religion Core (12 hours)

These courses must be taken in sequence as listed below, with the exception of BIBL-110/BIBL-111, either of which may be taken first or second. Each full-time student must be enrolled in a religion course every semester until the completion of THEO 231. Exceptions to this policy may be granted under special circumstances by the Dean of the School of Religion, but this is rare. Students should take only one religion core class per semester. Courses taken during summer school can be “applied” to the following semester.

Students choosing majors in the School of Religion have different Religion Core requirements.

Christian Service (80 clock hours)

Each student will complete 80 clock hours of Christian Service. Transfer students will complete 10 clock hours of service per semester. Christian Service is not a course; the hours are earned by a combination of class, group, and individual service learning experiences.

Acquiring Fundamental Academic Skills (6-10 hours)

English (3-7 hours)

Entry-level course for students with ACT English scores between 14 and 18 or SAT Critical Read scores between 370 and 429. Students who successfully complete ENGL-105 (grade of “C” or above) will also take ENGL-110.

Entry-level course for students with ACT English scores between 19 and 24 or SAT Critical Read scores between 430 and 569. Students who successfully complete ENGL-106 (grade of “C” or above) will also take ENGL-110.

Entry-level course for students with ACT English scores of at least 25 or SAT Critical Read scores of at least 570. Students placed in ENGL-110 are required to take only one composition course. A grade of “C”or better is required for successful completion of this course.

Mathematics (3 hours)

Some majors require a higher level mathematics class in the general core. Other mathematics options include any higher mathematics class except for MATH-109 and MATH-110. Students with ACT mathematics score of 27 or above, or SAT mathematics score of 620 or above, are not required to take a core mathematics class; however, depending on the major chosen, additional mathematics courses may be required.

OR higher level mathematics class as specified by the student’s major.

Exploring the Humanities (12 hours)

Students should note that, while the list of Humanities core requirements shown below is correct for most programs of study, some programs require specific / alternate courses in Humanities in order to fulfill the general core requirements. Students should consult their individual degree audits or specific program checksheets to ensure they are taking the correct Humanities courses.

Seeking a Global Perspective (4-9 hours)

Students need to complete only one hour of Cross-Cultural Experience for the General Core Requirement. One hour credit is given for experiences less than 4 weeks in duration; two hours credit for 4 to 8 week international experiences; and three hours credit for full semester study-abroad programs.

Students enrolled in Bachelor of Science programs

In lieu of LING-201, students may take one semester of a foreign language at the elementary level or above.

Students enrolled in Bachelor of Arts programs

Six hours of college elementary foreign language or placement demonstrated on the departmental foreign language examination are prerequisites for the intermediate-level courses in modern foreign languages. Only students with no previous Spanish coursework may enroll in SPAN-111.

Bachelor of Arts students who place directly into the second semester (212 or 312) of one of the below language groups based on placement testing, do not receive credit for the first semester (211 or 311) of the language and must take an additional course beyond 212 or 312 in order to complete the 6 hour foreign language requirement.